Seminar Series 25 November - Jeryn Cheng, Dr Steve Wallis, Yarmarly Guerra Valero

Interrogation of association between hypothalamic volume and BMI in patients with motor neuron disease
with Jeryn Cheng
Motor neuron disease (MND) is a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterised by the death of motor neurons in the brain and/or spinal cord. The loss of appetite in MND resulting in decreased energy intake is associated with greater weight loss and loss of fat-free mass, both of which are linked to faster disease progression and earlier death. The cause for loss of appetite in MND is multifactorial. A positive association between body mass index (BMI) and hypothalamic volume in MND suggests that impaired hypothalamic function could contribute to weight loss in patients. I will describe our approach towards the development of optimised automatic segmentation methods needed to extract hypothalamic volume from 3T MRI data.
 

Antimicrobial Optimisation Bioanalysis Laboratory
Dr Steve Wallis
The Antimicrobial Optimisation Bioanalysis Laboratory here at UQCCR supports clinical research stretching from RBWH to the other side of the globe. This presentation gives a brief overview of our activities measuring drugs in patient samples to advance academic research and improve patient care.

Translating Microsampling Techniques into better Antimicrobial Dosing for Critically Ill Children
Ms Yarmarly Guerra Valero
PIMS is a clinical study investigating antimicrobial pharmacokinetics in paediatric patients at the Queensland Children’s Hospital. An innovative microsampling approach has been taken to overcome impediments to research in this patient population.